Neil Harris hit 138 goals in two spells with Millwall as a renowned poacher

Harris, who had supported Liverpool and local club Southend while growing up in Essex, said: “I had two trials at Liverpool and both went well.

“The first time I trained really well and scored a hat-trick in a practice game at Melwood. I then played in a reserve match when we got spanked 4-1 by Villa.

“Liverpool said they could not judge me on that so I went back up there a month later and scored in a reserve game against Blackburn, when Neil Ruddock was sent off for the worst tackle I’ve ever seen on a football pitch.

“I thought I had done well but then I got a call from them saying they were not going to do anything as Roy Evans didn’t think I was better than he had there.

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Having guided the Lions to the play-off final in his first full season in charge 12 months ago — when they lost 3-1 to Barnsley — he has got them back to Wembley for what will, remarkably, be their FIFTH appearance at the new stadium in just eight years.

It is a far cry from when rookie Harris was part of the 1999 team that made Millwall’s only post-War appearance at the old Wembley in their Auto Windscreens Shield final defeat to Wigan.

He recalled: “We beat Walsall in the semi-final and had a few beers on the bus on the way back.

“When we got back to south London in the early hours, our old kitman, Roy, said to the boys, ‘Come on, let’s have a drink in my local’.

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“So he took us to this pub in The Blue in Bermondsey. When we got outside it was all dark and we were all thinking it was shut. Then he gave a little tap on the window, the doors flew open and there were about 300 Millwall fans inside having a party.

“That was a big night for me in my Millwall career and my understanding of this fantastic club.

Not one player was asked for a photo or an autograph.

“I learnt then this club does not care for egos.”

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